Safety door latch



Jan. 11, 1966 M. R. REDICK 3,228,718

SAFETY DOOR LATCH Jan. 11, 1966 M. R. REDICK SAFETY DOOR LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed OCT.. 1l, 1962 ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice 3,228,718 SAFETY DR LATCH Morris R. lllediclr, Pontiac, Mich., assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Deiavvare Filed st. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 230,796 Claims. (Cl. 292-99) This invention relates to door latches and more particularly to vehicle body safety door latches.

ln the past, many types of safety door latches have been provided in an effort to prevent vehicle doors from open* ing during collisions. One disadvantage of such prior safety latches is that they fail to retain the door in closed position when the body lock pillar or door is deformed during a collision. Another disadvantage is that such prior safety latches, whle effective to prevent movement of the door laterally away from the body lock pillar, are inelfective to prevent swinging movement of the door relative to the body lock pillar toward the open position thereof.

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior latches by providing a safety door latch which locks the door to the body when the door or body lock pillar is deformed during a collision or otherwise. The latch is also effective to lock the door to the body lock pillar to prevent movement of the door laterally of the body lock pillar and is further responsive to abnormally rapid swinging movement of the door relative to the body lock pillar, such as frequently occurs during a collision, to lock the door against such swinging movement. These results are achieved with a minimum number of parts and iu a manner which does not interfere with normal opening and closing of the door.

One feature of the invention is that it provides an irnproved safety door latch.

Another feature of the invention is that it provides a safety latch comprising al latch bolt movable between an operative position wherein the bolt is engageable with a striker mounted on a vehicle body to prevent movement of a door with respect to the body and an inoperative position wherein the bolt permits movement of the door with respect to the body.

A further feature of the invention is that it provides a vehicle body safety door latch including a latch bolt on the door which engages striker means on the body during initial undesired movement of the door relative to the body other than normal movement of the door, to prevent any further undesired movement of the door relative to the body.

Still another feature of the invention is that it provides a vehicle safety body door latch including a latch bolt on the door which engages striker means on the body during movement of the door relative to the body at a rate greater than a predetermined rate to prevent further movement of the door relative to the body.

Yet a further feature of this invention is that it provides a vehicle body safety door latch including a latch bolt pivotally mounted on the door and having cam follower means engageable with camming means on the body to move the bolt from an inoperative position, wherein the 1oolt permits movement of the door relative to the body, to an operative position adjacent striker means mounted on Vthe body wherein the bolt is engageable with the striker means to prevent undesired movement of the door and body relative to each other.

These and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following speciiication and drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a partial side elevational view of a vehicle body including a safety latch according to this invention;

3,228,718 Patented Jan. 11, 1966.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the latch in inoperative position;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 3-3 of FIGURE l showing the latch in operative position;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 4--4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of a portion ofthe latch of this invention.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE l of the drawings, a vehicle body designated generally as 16 includes a front door 12 hingedly mounted at its forward edge 13 in a conventional manner on the body for movement between a closed position as shown and an open position, not shown. Mounted within the door 12 adjacent the jamb face or rearward edge portion 14 thereof is a conventional latch mechanism 16 which engages conventional striker means, not shown, mounted on the body lock pillar 18 to latch door 12 to the body. Latch 16 may be operated by a conventional outer push button door handle assembly 26 or an inner door handle 22. A safety door latch 24 according to this invention is provided for locking door 12 to the body lock pillar 18 should latch mechanism 16 fail due to a collision or otherwise.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, latch 24 includes a hooked end bolt 26 pivotally mounted on a pin 23 extending between the upper and lower walls of a bolt housing 3i?. Housing 30 tits within a recess 32 in the jamb face 14 of door 12 and includes a flange 34 bolted at 35 to the jamb face in order to mount the bolt housing on the door. Bolt 26 is normally biased to the inoperative position thereof within housing 3G, as shown in FIGURE 2, by a coil torsion spring 36 mounted on pin 28 and having one end 3'7 thereof bearing against the inner wall of housing 30 and the other end 38 thereof hooked over bolt 26. An arcuate cam follower ange 49 of bolt 26 is engageable during door closing movement with camming means 42 mounted on the body lock pillar 18 to move the bolt 2d from its inoperative position to its operative position, as shown in FIGURE 3. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 5, camming means 42 includes a generally U-shaped support bracket 46 bolted at 47 to the pillar 18 and having a pair of spaced oppositely extending cam rollers 4S rotatably mounted on the legs thereof.

As door 12 is moved from the partially open position thereof, as shown in FIGURE 2, to the closed position thereof, as shown in FIGURE 3, the engagement of ange 40 with the rollers 4S will swing the bolt 26 counterclockwise about the pin 28 against the action of the spring 36 and also guide the movement of the bolt 25 between the rollers and through a pair of apertures Si) in the pillar 18 to locate the bolt 26 in its operative position wherein the hooked end of the bolt surrounds but does not engage a striker pin 52 mounted within the pillar 18.

A regulated biasing of the bolt from its operative position to its inoperative position is accomplished by properly adapting the strength of spring Sti and the friction between bolt 26 and pin 23, thereby to limit the rate of bolt rotation to a predetermined value that is sulcient to permit the bolt to move from the operative position of FIGURE 3, only during normal opening movement of the door 12. Thus, when the latch 16 is actuated and the door is initially opened in a normal manner, flange 40 moves along rollers 48 and disengages therefrom as spring 36 rotates bolt 26 and moves the hooked end of the bolt away from striker 52 to permit further door opening movement.

However, should the door due to an accident or otherwise, be caused to initially open at a rate greater than a predetermined rate corresponding to normal passenger operation, the hooked end of the bolt is not allowed to clear from its operative position with respect to striker 52,

and will engage the striker to prevent further door opening movement.

Safety latch 24 has the additional function of locking door 12 to the body during deformation of either or both of pillar 18 and door 12 from their normal positions as shown. As can be seen in FIGURE 3, initial deformation or movement, in any direction, of door 12 and pillar 18 relative to each other, other than the normal swinging movement of the door, will cause bolt 26 to engage striker 52 and prevent door opening movement. For example, should either the pillar or door be deformed in a direction tending to separate them, the bolt will move directly into engagement with the striker 52, or should the door 12 be struck laterally of the body 10 so as to deform the door inwardly, flange 40 will be cammed along rollers 48 to move the hooked end of the bolt into engagement with the striker 52.

Thus a new and improved safety door latch is provided.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle body including a body member, a closure member mounted for swinging movement relative to said body member between open and closed positions, and a primary latch for holding the closure member in closed position, a safety closure latch comprising, a latch bolt movably mounted on one of said members, striker means mounted on the other of said members, means responsive to swinging movement of said closure member between said positions thereof for moving said bolt from a first operative position in the closed position of said closure member wherein said bolt is located adjacent said striker means out of engagement therewith to a second inoperative position in the open position of said closure member wherein said bolt will permit movement of said members relative to each other, said bolt, when in said operative position thereof, being located for engagement with said striker means upon initial movement of said bolt at a rate greater than a predetermined rate with movement of said closure member toward the open position thereof to prevent further movement of said members relative to each other, and means responsive to movement of said closure member from the closed to the open position thereof at said predtermined rate for moving said bolt from said inoperative position thereof to said operative position thereof.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said bolt when in said operative position thereof is further located for engagement with said striker means during initial movement of said members relative to each other other than said swinging movement to prevent further movement of said members relative to each other.

3. In a vehicle body including a body member, a closure member mounted for swinging movement relative to said body between open and closed positions, and a primary latch for holding the closure member in closed position, a safety closure latch comprising, a hooked end latch bolt movably mounted on said closure member, striker means mounted on said body member, means responsive to swinging movement of said closure member for moving said bolt from an inoperative position in the open position of the closure member wherein said bolt will permit relative movement of said members, to an operative position in the closed position of said closure member wherein said bolt is located adjacent said striker means out of engagement therewith, said responsive means including cam follower means secured to said bolt and engageable with camming means mounted on said body member, said bolt in said operative position thereof being located for engagement with said striker means upon initial movement of said members relative to each other other than said swinging movement to prevent further movement of said members relative to each other, and means biasing said bolt from said operative to said inoperative position thereof during said swinging movement of said closure member from the Closed to the open position thereof.

4. In a vehicle body including a body member, a closure member mounted for swinging movement relative to said body between open and closed positions, and a primary latch for holding the closure member in closed position, a safety closure latch comprising, a hooked end latch bolt movably mounted on said closure member, striker means mounted on said body member, means responsive to swinging movement of said closure member for moving said bolt from an inoperative position in the open position of the closure member wherein said bolt will permit relative movement of said members, to an operative position in the closed position of said closure member wherein said bolt is located adjacent said striker means out of engagement therewith, said responsive means including cam follower means secured to said bolt and engageable with camming means mounted on said body member, said bolt in said operative position thereof being located for engagement with said striker means upon initial movement of said bolt at a rate greater than a predtermined rate with movement of said closure member toward the open position thereof to prevent further movement of said members relative to each other, and means operative to bias said bolt from said operative to said inoperative position thereof during movement of said closure member from the closed to the open position at said predetermined rate.

5. In combination with a stationary body member and a closure member movable between open and closed positions at a predetermined rate, a safety latch comprising; a bolt member pivotally mounted adjacent one end thereof on said closure member and having a hook formed at the other end thereof, a cam follower flange formed on said bolt intermediate said ends thereof, striker means mounted within a recess of said stationary member, camming means mounted on said stationary member and engageable with said cam follower ange to pivot said bolt member and direct said hooked end into an operative position within said recess and adjacent said striker pin during movement of said closure member vfrom the open position thereof to the closed position thereof, and means biasing said hooked end out of said recess away from said striker means during movement of said closure member at said predetermined rate from said closedposition thereof to said open position thereof, said hooked end engaging said striker means during movement of said closure member at a rate greater than said predetermined rate from said closed position to said open position and preventing further movement of said closure member from said closed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,711,213 4/1929 Smith 292-198 2,797,115 6/ 1957 Rawden et al. 2,826,444 3/ 1958 Kurilenko 292-177 3,034,818 5/ 1962 Cochburn et al 292-229 3,040,555 6/1962 Wartian 292-129 JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

ALBERT H. KAMPE, THOMAS I. HCKEY,

Examiners. 

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY INCLUDING A BODY MEMBER, A CLOSURE MEMBER MOUNTED FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID BODY MEMBER BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, AND A PRIMARY LATCH FOR HOLDING THE CLOSURE MEMBER IN CLOSED POSITION, A SAFETY CLOSURE LATCH COMPRISING, A LATCH BOLT MOVABLY MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID MEMBERS, STRIKER MEANS MOUNTED ON THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS THEREOF FOR MOVING SAID BOLT FROM A FIRST OPERATIVE POSITION IN THE CLOSED POSITION OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER WHEREIN SAID BOLT IS LOCATED ADJACENT SAID STRIKER MEANS OUT OF ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH TO A SECOND INOPERATIVE POSITION IN THE OPEN POSITION OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER WHEREIN SAID BOLT WILL PERMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, SAID BOLT, WHEN IN SAID OPERATIVE POSITION THEREOF, BEING LOCATED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID STRIKER MEANS UPON INITIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BOLT AT A RATE GREATER THAN A PREDETERMINED RATE WITH MOVEMENT OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER TOWARD THE OPEN POSITION THEREOF TO PREVENT FURTHER MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER FROM THE CLOSED TO THE OPEN POSITION THEREOF AT SAID PREDETERMINED RATE FOR MOVING SAID BOLT FROM SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION THEREOF TO SAID OPERATIVE POSITION THEREOF. 